USA > New York > Erie County > Our county and its people : a descriptive work on Erie County, New York, Volume II > Part 74
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Field, Edward Prime, Buffalo, son of Henry and Julia (Evertson) Field, was born at Weedsport, Cayuga county, N. Y., August 25, 1854, and in 1859 came with his parents to Buffalo, where he received a public school education. In 1874 he began the study of law in the office of Williams & Potter, and remained there until his admission to the bar in 1877. Afterward he received the appointment of special deputy clerk of the Superior Court of Buffalo under Gen. John C. Graves, which position he held until November 1, 1886, when he formed a copartnership with Frank R. Perkins for the practice of his profession. Two years later this firm was dissolved, and since then Mr. Field has practiced alone. On October 3, 1889, he organized and incorporated the Buffalo Building and Investment Company, with a paid in capital of $100,000, and he has since been its attorney. Mr. Field was also
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one of the incorporators and for five years the secretary of the Buffalo Yacht Club. He was one of the very earliest wheelmen in Buffalo and Erie county, beginning on a wooden bicycle about 1868, and was a charter member of the original Buffalo Bicycle Club and the first president of the old Buffalo Bicycle Touring Club. June 7, 1887, he married Miss Kate C. Gallagher, only daughter of the late Hon. Edward Gal- lagher, of Buffalo, and they have three children: Jessie Barcalow, Martha Galla- gher, and Florence Isabella.
Lang, Jacob J., Buffalo, son of Frank and Katherine (Zimmerman) Lang, was born in Buffalo, N. Y., September 2, 1858. Frank Lang, brother of the late Gerhard Lang, was born in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, came to this country when he was sixteen years of age, and settled in Buffalo, where he was long a leading butcher and meat dealer, and where he still resides. His wife was a daughter of George Zim- merman, who came to Buffalo from Alsace, Germany, about 1834. Jacob J. Lang attended the parochial schools and was a member of the first class of St. Canisius College, taking a commercial course. He was associated with his father until 1880, when he opened a meat market on the corner of Sixth and Georgia streets, whence he afterward removed to 573 Ellicott street. He continued in the meat business with success until March, 1892, when he formed a copartnership with Frank Kertz and opened a real estate and insurance office at 515 Main street. The firm of Lang & Kertz is one of the best known in this line in Buffalo. Mr. Lang is one of the found- ers and treasurer of the German Hospital, has been secretary of the German Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum since 1889, and is secretary of the Buffalo German Printing Association, which publishes the Buffalo Volksfreund. He is a chancellor of Branch 18, C. M. B. A., and of Star Council, No. 359, C. B. L., and for two terms was State orator of the New York State C. B. L, He is president of St. John's Union, Knights of St. George, is a trustee of St. Michael's church, was formerly president of St. Michael's Society, and is a passive member of the Liedertafel. He is a Democrat, and in 1897 was his party's candidate for county treasurer, but was defeated by 412 votes. July 20, 1880, he married Eva, daughter of Andrew Wieman, of Buffalo.
Viele, Henry Knickerbacker, Buffalo, was a lineal descendant of Cornelius Cor- nelison Viele, who came from Holland about 1630 and settled at Fort Orange (now Albany), N. Y. His father John Ludovicus Viele, a distinguished lawyer and statesman, was born at Pittstown, N. Y., June 6, 1788, and died at Albany, October 19, 1832. Entering Union College in the class of 1811, John L. Viele remained one year, when he retired with an honorable dismissal at his own request, and then pur- sued a classical course of fourteen months under a private tutor at New Paltz. He was admitted as attorney and counselor in the Court of Common Pleas of Rensselaer county, October 2, 1812, as counselor-at-law in the Supreme Court August 13, 1817, and as counselor in the Court of Chancery January 22, 1822. He was State senator from the middle district under the first State constitution in 1822 and from the fourth district under the second constitution from 1826 to 1829, and as senator sat in the Court for the Correction of Errors. His opinions are found in the reports for those years and show great judicial ability. He was a leading advocate of his sec- tion and when La Fayette revisited this country in 1825 he was chosen the orator to receive the distinguished guest on the battlefield of Saratoga. February 6, 1832,
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he was elected a regent of the University of the State of New York. In 1810 he married Catalina Knickerbacker, a granddaughter of Col. John Knickerbacker of Schaghticoke. (Colonel Knickerbacker served in the French war, was commissioned a colonel of New York militia October 20, 1775, was present at the battle of Saratoga and served in the Legislature of 1792. He was descended from John van Berghen, called Knickerbacker, the third son of Godfrey van Berghen, Count van Grimberg- hen. John van Berghen was a captain in the Netherland navy, and afterward came to the New Netherlands and died here in in 1656 ) Henry K. Viele was born at Waterford, N. Y., April 29, 1819, was graduated from the Albany Academy in the collegiate course, and when about eighteen years old came to Buffalo. Admitted to the bar at an early age he successfully practiced his profession until 1853, when he retired. He was a master in chancery as well as a counselor at law, and in 1850 was superintendent of schools. During the Civil war he was colonel of the 94th N. Y. Vols. He was an able lawyer and a man of brilliant social qualities. He died in St. Paul, Minn., August 8, 1881. His wife, Laetitia Porter Thompson, was a daugh- ter of Sheldon Thompson, the first mayor of Buffalo elected by the people (1840),1 and a descendant of Anthony Thompson, who came with Governor Eaton and others from London, England, in 1637, in the ship Hector, and settled in New Ha- ven, Conn. Another of her ancestors, Jabez Thompson, of Derby, Conn., was an officer in the French war, was a colonel in the Revolution, and was killed in the re- treat from New York September 15, 1776.
Viele, Sheldon Thomson, son of Henry K. and Laetitia P. (Thompson) Viele, was born in Buffalo, N. Y., January 4, 1847, prepared for college at the Walnut Hill School at Geneva, and was graduated from Yale University as A. B. in 1868, and received the degree of A. M. from that institution, in course, in 1871. He read law in Buffalo with E. Carlton Sprague, was admitted to the bar November 17, 1869, and remained in Mr. Sprague's office until May, 1871, since which time he has suc- cessfully followed his profession in his native city. His practice has been princi- pally of an office and confidential nature. In February, 1880, he received the $250 prize of the New York State Bar Association for the best essay on the subject, "Is the Common Law a Proper Subject for Codification ?" He has published several pamphlets and addresses, was one of the historians of the Visit of the Holland So- ciety to Holland in 1888, and was the first secretary of the first district committee of the Charity Organization Society of Buffalo (the first of the kind in the United States) and has been a trustee since its incorporation. He was a member of the first ex- ecutive committee of the Civil Service Reform Association of Buffalo, curator of the Buffalo Library in 1886-89, dean of the Saturn Club in 1889, president of the D. K. E. Association of Western New York in 1888 and 1896, a director of the Buffalo Club for six years and president of the Yale Alumni Association of Western New York in 1895-96. He was an organizer of the University Club of Buffalo in December, 1894, and served it as president during the first three years. He is a trustee of St. Margaret's School, a vestryman of St. Paul's church, a member of the Holland So- ciety of New York, and a member of the New York State Bar Association, the So- ciety of Colonial Wars, the Society of the War of 1812, and the Military Order of
1 For sketch of life of Sheldon Thompson see elsewhere in this work.
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the Loyal Legion of the United States. He is also a member of the Society of the Sons of the Revolution and for two years was president of the Buffalo Association.
Preiss, Frederick, M. D., Buffalo, son of Belshazzar and Christina (Maul) Preiss, was born in Middleport, Brant county, Ontario, Canada, December 25, 1868, attend- ed the public schools, and was graduated from the Brantford Institute in 1884. He then began the study of medicine, receiving the degree of M. D. from Victoria University at Coburg in 1889, the degree of M. D. C. M. from Trinity University at Toronto in 1890,' and the fellowship degree (F. T. M. C.) from Trinity Medical Col- lege in 1890. Since then he has successfully practiced his profession in Buffalo. Dr. Preiss has made numerous experiments with the X-Rays, and is credited with own- ing the first machine of that kind ever brought to the city. He is a member of the Erie County Medical Society, the New York State Medical Association and the Buf- falo Academy of Medicine; is president of the Buffalo Surgical and Medical Dispen- sary, secretary and treasury of the Buffalo Medical Union and lecturer on electro- therapeutics at the medical department of Niagara University, and is a 32d degree Mason, holding membership in De Molay Lodge No. 498, F. & A. M., Adytum Chapter No. 235, R. A. M., and the Scottish Rite bodies.
Bishop, Charles Frederick, Buffalo, is a son of Casper Henry and Louisa (West- brock) Bishop, and was born in Williamsville, Erie county, October 14, 1844. When a boy he came to Buffalo, where he attended the public schools until he reached the age of thirteen, when he became a clerk in a retail grocery store. In 1869 he en- gaged in the wholesale tea, coffee and spice business, in which he has ever since continued with uninterrupted success. For many years he has been one of the lead- ing dealers in this line in Buffalo. Mr. Bishop has long been an active and influen- tial Democrat, and in 1887 was nominated by his party for county treasurer, but suffered defeat by only forty-one votes. In 1889 and again in 1891 he was elected mayor of the city of Buffalo and filled that office with great satisfaction for five years. He is a director of the People's Bank, a trustee of the Western Savings Bank, and a prominent 32d degree Mason in the Scottish Rite, being past master of Concordia Lodge No. 143, F. & A. M., past eminent commander of Lake Erie Commandery No. 20, K. T., and formerly president (for five years) of the Board of Trustees of the Masonic Hall Association. He was also for four years district deputy grand mas- ter of the Twenty-fifth Masonic District, and as such laid the corner stone of the Masonic Temple in Buffalo. He has been treasurer of Ismailia Temple, N. O. M. S., since its institution and is president of the Masonic Life Association of Western New York. August 6, 1865, he married Miss Kate Moran of Buffalo.
McDougall, Seymour E., D. D. S., Buffalo, was born in Oneida county, N. Y., April 21, 1856, a son of William J. and Annis A. (Hall) McDougall. He acquired a liberal education in the public schools of Rome, N. Y., and then began the study of dentistry in the Boston Dental College at Boston, Mass. Upon completing his course, he engaged in practice in Clinton, Oneida county, where he remained for some time, and then, having accepted a position as demonstrator at the University of Buffalo, removed to this city and opened an office on Richmond avenue, in the mean time taking a special course and receiving the degree of the university in 1893. He is a
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member of Clinton Lodge No. 169, F. & A. M., the Buffalo Dental Association, and the Eighth District Dental Society. September 10, 1885, he married Emma M., daughter of Charles M. Seeley, of Syracuse. They have two daughters, Mildred M. and Ruth H.
Hawley, Elias Sill, Buffalo, was born October 28, 1812, in Moreau, Saratoga county, N. Y., on a farm purchased by his grandfather, Amos Hawley, in 1794. He came to Buffalo in 1823. He attended Cambridge Academy in Washington county for two years and also Middlebury College, and was graduated from Union College at Sche- nectady, N. Y., in July, 1833. Returning to Buffalo he taught a private school for a time and in 1838 became the first principal of public school No. 8. Later he read law with Barker & Hawley and was admitted to the bar. About 1840, with Seth C. Haw- ley, he established a money and package express between Buffalo and Detroit. In 1844 he was appointed superintendent of schools, and was reappointed in 1846 and 1847. He was connected with the old volunteer fire department, being a member of Engine No. 8 and later of Eagle No. 2, and finally entered the service of Pratt & Co., with whom he remained twenty-three years, being first their collecting attorney and afterward superintendent of the Buffalo Iron and Nail Works, leaving when the firm abandoned the iron business. In 1868 he was elected alderman of the old Eleventh ward, and in 1883 he served as assemblyman from the Third Erie County District. In 1883 he was also appointed secretary and treasurer of the Buffalo State Hospital, which positions he has since filled. He is a trustee of the Buffalo City Cemetery and a founder and member of the Buffalo Historical Society, which he served as a man- ager for several years and also as president, and was formerly a trustee of the North Presbyterian church. He is a citizen widely esteemed and respected, a man of high scholarly attainments and broad culture, and one whose long life is graced with deeds of benevolence and charity. He is the author of the Hawley Record, a genealogical work of great value. May 30, 1845, he married Lavinia Hurd Selden, of Buffalo.
Linquist, Maurice F., M. D., Buffalo, son of Maurice F. Linquist, M. D., and Josephine Taylor, his wife, was born in Hastings, N. Y., June 15, 1867. He received his preliminary education in the public schools of New Haven, Conn., and in 1889 was graduated from the Cincinnati Medical College at Cincinnati, Ohio. He then entered the New York Homoeopathic Medical College, from which he was graduated in 1891. The following year he removed to Buffalo to accept a position in the Homoeopathic Hospital, and has since been engaged in general practice in this city, being located at 175 Bryant street. He is a member of the surgical staff of the Buf- falo Homoeopathic Hospital, and of the Erie County Homoeopathic Medical Society.
Lewis, William D., Buffalo, son of William and Elvira (Lewis) Lewis, was born in Hindsburg, Orleans county, N. Y., May 20, 1840. In 1846 his parents removed to Buf- falo, and after a residence of two years removed to Newport, Ky., where Mr. Lewis attended the public schools, afterwards going to the High School in Cincinnati. He was graduated, in 1856, from the R. S. Bacon Commercial College in Cincinnati, after which he removed to St. Louis, remaining one year, and thence coming to Buf- falo, where he has since resided-over forty years. His first employment in this city was in the Ohio street freight office of the old Buffalo, New York and Erie Rail-
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road. After a few months he was transferred to the general freight office, where he acted as chief clerk to the general freight agent, remaining five years. He then entered the service of the late George W. Tifft as confidential clerk, continuing six- teen years, at the end of which time he became a member of the firm of Albert Best & Co., furniture manufacturers. At the end of two years he retired from this firm to engage in the insurance business, which he has followed until the present time. He is a member of the Buffalo Association of Fire Underwriters and of the Royal Arcanum. In October, 1860, he married Marion J. Taintor, of West Eaton, N. Y., by whom he has one son, Dr. George W. F. Lewis, a practicing physician of Buffalo.
Aldrich & Ray Manufacturing Company, Buffalo .- This is one of the representa- tive manufacturing concerns of Buffalo. It was established in 1879 by Schuyler Aldrich. Five years later Isaac A. Aldrich entered the firm and two years after- ward George A. Ray was admitted, the firm name being then changed to its pres- ent style. In the early stage of the business a line of small copper goods was manu- factured, later a full line of hotel, restaurant and house furnishing goods, and a short time ago the manufacture of all kinds of soda fountain apparatus was taken up, the product now comprising all of these lines on a large scale, about 800 tons of copper and many tons of brass being consumed annually. Schuyler Aldrich, the senior member of the firm, is a native of Canada and removed with his parents to Oberlin, Ohio, when he was quite young. He was educated for the ministry and in 1861 became pastor of the Buffalo Free Baptist church. Subsequently he was pas- tor of the Free Baptist churches at Phoenix, N. Y., Elmira, N. Y., and Poland, N. Y. In 1858 he married Charlotte C. Hardy of Pierpont, Ohio. Isaac A. Aldrich was born and educated in Pierpont, Ohio, and in 1880 came to Buffalo, where he has since resided. He has been connected with the establishment for a period covering eighteen years. George A. Ray, junior member of the firm, was born in Cheekto- waga, Erie county, and obtained his education in the public and high schools of Buf- falo. His connection with the firm dates back to 1886. The Aldrich & Ray Manu- facturing Company is the largest concern of its kind in New York State.
Bryant, Orrin, Buffalo, son of Patrick and Bricea (Dunbleton) Bryant, was born in Hampshire county, Mass., July 31, 1837. His education in the schools was limited to the elementary grades, and after leaving he served an apprenticeship at the machinist's trade, which he has followed all his life. He came to Buffalo in 1886 with the Pierce Steam Heating Company, which removed to Buffalo from Westfield, Mass. In 1892 he started the Bryant Iron Works, which he still conducts success- fully, making a specialty of the manufacture of steam radiators and radiator ma- chinery. Mr. Bryant is a member of the Knights of Honor. In 1876 he was elect- ed to the Massachusetts Legislature and served one term. He was united in mar- riage in 1862 to Martha J. Cool of Caserfield, Mass. They have five children: Wal- ter F., Horace C., Mary, Willard C. and Frank O.
Bookser, Rudolph Charles, Buffalo, was born in County Argan, town of Schoeft- land, Switzerland, November 9, 1849. His parents, Jacob and Elizabeth (Brunner) Bookser, came to America in 1853 and settled in Buffalo, N. Y., where he received in the public schools a liberal education. His first business experience was in the
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jewelry establishment of William C. Lutz, where he remained three years, when he entered the employ of Fred Oelrich. He remained with Mr. Oelrich until 1884, when he engaged in the jewelry business on his own account, in which he has since continued successfully. Mr. Bookser is also president of the Riverside Manufactur- ing Company, a concern which manufactures bicycle fittings and all hardware specialties. Mr. Bookser is a prominent member of Buffalo Lodge, No. 37, I. O O. F. On October 10, 1872, he was united in marriage to Miss Louise A. Seip, of Buffalo, and to them have been born six children: Lucy A., Rudolph J., George N., Jennie A., Mary E. and William F.
Emery, William F., Buffalo, son of Sanford Emery, M. D., and Isabella Warner, his wife, who came from Vermont to this State, was born in Byron, Genesee county, N. Y., January 30, 1849, and attended the district schools and a private school in Batavia. Later the family removed to Lima, N. Y., where he finished his education. He went to New York city and was successively a clerk for the Nickelson Shoe Com- pany for ten years and for William Beatty & Sons, shoe dealers, for five years, and in 1880 came to Buffalo, where he has since been engaged in the retail shoe business on his own account. In 1881 he organized the present shoe firm of W. F. Emery & Co., which is one of the best known in its line in the city and the oldest one on Main street. Mr. Emery has been a member of the Buffalo Republican League since its organization. In August, 1879, he married Adelaide L., daughter of John I. Pryor, of Buffalo, and they have one daughter: Ella Pryor Emery.
Miller, August H., Buffalo, is the son of Henry L. and Mary Ann (Huck) Miller, and a grandson of Philip Miller, who came to Buffalo from Alsace, France, at an early day, and died here of cholera in 1848. His parents are both natives of Buffalo, his father being a machinist and a marine and stationary engineer, and for twenty- seven years followed the lakes. Mr. Miller was born in Buffalo, N. Y., August 4, 1860, received a public school education, and obtained his first business experience in the merchant tailoring establishment of William Nicklis, jr., where he remained from 1871 to 1888, a period of seventeen years. He subsequently followed his trade of cutter in New York city for a time, and on his return to Buffalo in 1894 formed a co- partnership with George W. Patridge, which still continues under the firm name of Miller & Patridge. They conduct a well appointed merchant tailoring establishment at 60 Main street. Mr. Miller is a member of Washington Lodge F. & A. M.
Doepp, John Joseph, Buffalo, son of John and Magdelen (Nicken) Doepp, was born in Buffalo, N. Y., November 21, 1865. His father was born in Bavaria Germany ; his mother was a native of Buffalo. His parents removed to Chicago when he was quite young, remaining in that city until the great fire, when they returned to Buffa- lo. The following year they again removed to Chicago, where Mr. Doepp attended St. Michael's school. In July, 1875, they again returned to Buffalo, and his education was finished at St. Ann's school. Mr. Doepp's first business experience was in the capacity of a grocery clerk, in which he continued for fifteen years. In 1895, in com- pany with Mr. Bowers, he engaged in the grocery business under the firm name of Bowers & Doepp, which copartnership continued until February 1, 1897, when it was dissolved. Mr. Doepp was married June 3, 1890, to Miss Frances J., daughter of
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Joseph and Eva (Meyer) Grupp, of Buffalo, and to them have been born four chil- dren, three of whom are now living, viz .; Joseph, born June 4, 1893; Albert, born April 3, 1895; and Edward, born December 13, 1896. The eldest, Lawrence, born January 23, 1892, died May 28, 1892. Mr. Doepp is a prominent member of Tacoma Tribe No. 345, I. O. R. M.
Jenkins, Elmer Elsworth, Buffalo, was born in Boston, Mass., May 4, 1862. His education was obtained in the public schools of Vermont and at Wesleyan College in Stansted, Quebec, graduating from the latter in the class of 1880. His first business experience after graduation was as a grocery clerk at Newport, Vt., where he re- mained one year, when he engaged in the hardware business for a short time. He then removed to Portland, Me., to accept a position in a hotel, where he remained two years. In 1886 he came to Buffalo and entered the employ of E. N. Yerxa, having charge of the cigar department, in which capacity he acted for a period of nine years. He then engaged in business on his own account in company with Ed- win Wallace under the firm name of Wallace & Jenkins, which copartnership con- tinued until February, 1897, since which time Mr. Jenkins has conducted the busi- ness alone. The stock carried embraces all the standard brands of cigars and im- ported and domestic wines and liquors. Mr. Jenkins is a member of Queen City Lodge No. 358, F. & A. M., and is a well known and popular citizen.
Waite, Richard Alfred, Buffalo, son of Charles Henry and Harriet Humphreys (Holland) Waite, was born in London, England, May 14, 1848, and came with his parents to America in 1857. The family first settled in New York city, but later re- moved to Buffalo, where the father became a member of the firm of Clapp, Matthews & Waite, the originators of illuminated printing and consecutively numbered and coupon railroad tickets. Mr. Waite attended public school No. 16, Buffalo, and re- ceived his mechanical training in New York city under John Ericsson, the inventor of the Monitor, with whom he remained a little more than three years. At Mr. Erics- son's suggestion he took up architecture, which he studied under John Kellum of New York, who was then one of the leading architects in the United States. In 1874 Mr. Waite returned to Buffalo as the designer and superintendent of the Ger- man Insurance building, and since then he has successfully followed the general practice of his profession in this city. Among the many noted buildings in Buffalo which Mr. Waite has designed may be mentioned the Commercial Advertiser build- ing, Dr. R. V. Pierce's old Palace Hotel, the new Music Hall, the Grosvenor Library building and the building of the Women's Educational and Industrial Union. He also designed the Parliament and Department buildings of the Province of Ontario, Canada; the Canada Life Insurance Company's buildings in Hamilton, Toronto and Montreal, Canada; the Canadian Bank of Commerce, the Mail-Empire buildings, the Western Insurance Company building and the Jones block in Toronto; the Standard Life Insurance Company's building in Edinburgh, Scotland; the Bank of Hamilton in Hamilton, Ontario, and numerous other buildings and dwellings in Buffalo, Can- ada and elsewhere. He is credited with being the first American architect to be employed by the Canadian government. Mr. Waite was married September 22, 1856, to Sarah E., daughter of Isaac Holloway of Buffalo, and they have five chil-
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